A friend I am proud of

Tian Chua, with whom I had already befriended while I studied in Australia, became a leading figure of the Reformasi movement who had to endure police beatings, water cannons, tear gas and ISA detention. Because of the brutal treatments meted out against Tian Chua, even the conservative Chinese media opinion turned against the police and began to be more and more critical.

Finally, a leading Chinese-language newspaper took the extraordinary decision to publish the colour photograph of Anwar with a black eye on its front page.

Also, many Chinese youths and university students were inspired by Tian Chua and joined in the protest movement. Youth idealism among the Chinese, long suppressed since 1970s, resurfaced.